June 3, 2007 – The Lifetime Series Army Wives Premieres
“I was wondering if you could help me with something. See, I’m the new girl around here, and I don’t have my army wives decoder ring yet to sweet-talk my way through those magic blue doors.”
On June 3, 2007, the television series Army Wives began its run on the Lifetime channel. It was produced by Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios, and was based loosely on the book Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank. The series soon became the most successful series in Lifetime’s history, and was received well by critics. The series ran for seven seasons, with 117 episodes. It was created by Katherine Fugate, and starred Kim Delaney as Claudia Joy Holden, Sally Pressman as Roxy LeBlanc, Brigid Brannagh as Pamela Moran, Catherine Bell as Denise Sherwood, Sterling K. Brown as Roland Burton, and Wendy Davis as Joan Burton.
The first episode, “A Tribe is Born,” begins at a bar, where bartender Roxy is working her shift. 2nd Lieutenant Trevor LeBlanc shows up to see her, and proposes to her impetuously. To both of their surprises, she says yes, and the two head to the Fort Marshall in Charleston, South Carolina with Roxy’s two kids. The other main wives are quickly introduced: Claudia Joy Holden, wife of Lieutenant-General Michael Holden; Colonel Joan Burton, wife of base psychiatrist Dr. Roland Burton; Pamela Moran, wife of Master Sergeant Chase Moran; and Denise Sherwood, wife of Colonel Frank Sherwood. Each wife struggles with their own issues, which they keep hidden away. The wives attend a promotion dinner, and their interactions with their husbands are shown to the audience. Pamela, who is heavily pregnant with twins, is angry that Chase never shows up to her ultrasound appointments. Roxy, who is new to base life, continues to make one mistake after another, and ends up spilling wine all over her dress. Claudia Joy and Denise, who have been friends for years, are chatting in the bathroom, when Claudia Joy discovers that someone has been hurting Denise. Roxy steps out of a bathroom stall during the conversation, although Claudia Joy and Denise are less than thrilled at the interruption.
At the promotion ceremony, Claudia Joy protects her husband by confronting Lenore Baker, the woman who spread rumors about Michael
Claudia Joy confronts the wife of the man that was promoted, as the woman spread a rumor that Michael was a racist, which cost Michael the promotion. Pamela is hounded by two other wives about her babies, although she brushes them off brusquely. After she leaves, the two women start gossiping, which shocks Roxy, who has been standing behind them. Roland starts talking to Roxy, and the two strike up a friendship. Joan, who has been away on deployment for two years, talks with Michael, asking when things would start to feel normal again. After the dinner, Trevor is excited that he begins paratrooper training the next morning at 6; unfortunately, Roxy’s son Finn starts throwing up in the middle of the night, and the family rushes to the hospital. The hospital is overworked, and Roxy spends all night waiting. When Claudia Joy’s daughter is able to skip the line, Roxy is incensed and demands to know what she has to do to see a doctor. Claudia Joy asks that Roxy and her son take her place in the line. Pamela heads to the chaplain to talk about her troubles, and admits that she’s a surrogate parent, and will tell everyone that the babies died after she delivers. Denise sees her husband off for his deployment, and gives him a letter before he leaves. Her son Jeremy starts acting up the moment Frank leaves.
Pamela arrives home and finds that Chase has been assigned to the Delta Force, but gets into an argument about spending money. Meanwhile, Roxy has a discussion with Trevor about wanting to work, although Trevor tells her she doesn’t need to, as he can provide for the family. She then stresses about fitting in on base, but Trevor calmly helps her, and the two bond more. Roxy is soon invited to go out with the other wives to a ladies night, and they head to the Hump Bar off-post. When Roxy sees the “help wanted” sign, she applies for the job and soon gets it. The next day, Denise gives Jeremy a letter from West Point, and while at first he is excited he got in, he is soon furious, as he thinks he only got in because of his father. When Denise tries to comfort him, he hits her, cutting her cheek with his class ring. It’s revealed that Jeremy has been abusing Denise for about six months, and he believes she will never say anything. Denise finally admits the truth to Claudia Joy and Michael. Later, Michael finds Jeremy and asks to talk to him privately, and tells him that he knows that he hits his mother. He threatens Jeremy that, should he do it again, he will be treated like any other man on post who hits a woman.
Roland goes to pick up his wife Joan, who has been having a very difficult time adjusting to life back after deployment
Joan has been drinking in Roxy’s bar, and at one point gets drunk enough to dance on the bar. When a man starts touching her, Joan punches him out, and Roxy helps her down. They wait for Roland to show up, and he is surprised to see Roxy again. When Roland gets her from the back room, Joan admits to him that if he knew what she did over in Afghanistan, he wouldn’t love her. He tells her that it doesn’t matter what she did, he knows who she is. The wives meet once again at a fundraiser tea party of Claudia Joy’s, and the wife of the man that got the promotion, Lenore Baker, starts telling Claudia Joy in a threatening tone that she’s learning a lot about her. Roxy shows up in a revealing outfit, as she has to go to work soon after, and Claudia Joy introduces Roxy to Pamela, and the two bond over their outcast status. Pamela soon goes into labor, and she admits to Roxy the truth about the twins. Roxy pulls Denise into the house to help her out, and is soon followed by Claudia Joy. The five, after enlisting the help of Roland, head to the closest off-post hospital. As Pamela is getting close to deliver, they head to the Hump Bar instead, and Pamela delivers the twins on a pool table. The five then bond over Pamela’s secret, and promise to keep it.
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